Babysitting is hard to do
by FeeBe
Summary: Trick or Treat Challenge- Potter 3 While Lily and James are out on a date. Sirius is left holding the baby. (Mostly fluff) Edited 11/10


He paced the floor, waiting for them to come home. They had promised they wouldn't be late! This was only the second time Sirius had been given the task of babysitting. Usually they asked, the much more sensible, Remus but Dumbledore had sent him off to Merlin only knew where. It was supposed to be their last evening out before they retreated into hiding and it was their anniversary. There was no way he could possibly have turned them down when they had asked, even if he had been inclined to. Which he was not, he absolutely was_ not_ afraid of looking after the pup!

Bang.

A piece of paper shot out of the floo and landed on the living room rug.

_Siri,_

_Attack at North Hampton. Order called in. The Big V is in attendance so it's all hands-on deck. You stay with Prongslet. Be home fastest._

_L and J_

He really hoped that the noise hadn't woken up his pup. Was that a sniffle? Argh, he would just have to creep up the stairs and peep in.

Creak.

Bugger! You would think that he would remember that the second top stair creaked!.

"Ma!"

"Well that's torn it!" Sirius grumbled as he pushed open the door. The small boy had sat in the middle of his cot, cheeks red and eyes streaming.

"Muma!" he called out hopefully as the door opened.

"Sorry Pup just me," Sirius whispered softly, peering over the side of the cot.

"Dada!" Harry tried again.

"Nope wrong again Pup, just Padfoot."

"Pa'foo." Little fists rubbed tired eyes, before arms raised.

"You know it's bed time, you're not supposed to be up," Sirius explained.

"apposed be up?" Harry asked, reaching out for Sirius again.

"No. Bed now Prongslet," Sirius said.

"No bed. Up now!" Harry insisted urgently. "Pa'foo up ta!"

"That's lovely manners Pup but it's time for bed," Sirius reasoned with the 14month old.

"No! Up," the little boy demanded while bouncing on his knees.

"No bed. Just you wait till your Mum and Dad get home," Sirius stated, trying to be firm.

"Muma?" Harry pulled himself up using the bars of his cot, so he could see around the room.

"Argh," groaned Sirius. "I should not have said that. They're not home yet, Pup."

"Home yet Pup," Harry repeated.

"Oh no. We're not playing that game mister," Sirius tried to sound stern but couldn't help the smile that snuck onto his lips.

"Play game?" Harry repeated hopefully, staring up at his Godfather with his big green eyes.

"No Pup. It's time for bed," Sirius tried again. Harry ignored Sirius' words in favour of reaching out to be picked up again.

"Come on Pup just lie down for me." Right what was it Lily had said? Maybe his presence was to stimulating? Maybe him being in the room was actually keeping Harry awake? Didn't she always tell Sirius to leave the room when she was putting Harry down for his nap? Right, Sirius decided, he just needed to leave Harry in the quiet, dark room for a while and he would settle down.

"Noooooooo, Pa'foo! Nooooooo," Harry began to wail as Sirius backed up towards the door. Slipping through it, Sirius closed the door and stood with his forehead resting against the wood listening to the little boy cry.

"Come back soon Jamie, please don't get hurt out there! Lily I don't know how to do this!" He didn't last five minutes before opening the door again wit a sigh. There was a hitch in the little cry. "Come on Prongslet, don't do this," he pleaded.

"Pa'foo, up," Harry sniffled.

"Ah come here little man," Sirius gave in to that sad face with the reddened, snot-covered cheeks. A quick wave of his wand cleaned up the little boy's face. Then he tucked his wand into his back pocket and reached down. Harry practically threw himself into his Godfather's arms.

"Pa'foo." Harry buried his face into the side of Sirius' neck holding on tight. "No Muma, no Papa, all gone!" He sniffled again.

Concerned that the child would start crying again, Sirius rubbed circles on the small back and tried to provide reassurance.

"Hey, they'll be back. It won't be long. And then your Mama will get all cranky at me for letting you stay up late, and your Dada will laugh and do that bubble trick that he does. Which, by the way, I really need to get him to show me."

"Bubbles?" Harry enquired sleepily, lifting his head briefly to look into Sirius' eyes. Lowering his head back onto his Godfather's shoulder he closed his eyes.

"Yep bubbles." It only took a few minutes of gentle rocking for the small boy to settle and appear to be asleep. Sirius moved over to the cot, keeping each step small and smooth. Ever so carefully he lowered the boy into the cot. Just as he was withdrawing his hands from underneath the child Harry's eyes popped open. He began to scream. Face red, mouth wide, heart rending screams.

"Oh Pup! Please no," Sirius whined as he lifted the boy and cuddled him to his chest again.

"What's that song Lily sings?" Sirius muttered, as he patted Harry's back.

"Tinkle, tinkle?" Harry hiccupped as his crying ebbed.

"Tinkle? Do you need to go potty?"

The dark head shook from side to side. Harry released his grip on Sirius' robe and clenched and unclenched his fist, "Tinkle, tinkle!"

Sirius copied the movement. "Oh! Do you mean twinkle?" Harry gave a little nod, before latching on again, little fists twisting in the material.

"Twinkle, twinkle, little star," Sirius sang softly. Looking around the room he spied the rocking chair.

"How I wonder what you are." He made his way over to it and sat down.

"Up above the world so high." Harry lifted his head making a small disgruntled noise in protest as Sirius stopped moving. Back and forth. Sirius started a smooth, slow rock in time with the song and Harry began to settle. Back and forth.

"Like a diamond in the sky. Twinkle, twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are." After a second rendition the boy in his arms seemed to be deeply asleep, his little huffing breathes steady. Ah the feeling of success!

"Right kiddo, back to bed with you." Sirius stood and made his way back to the cot. However, the moment that he began to lower the boy, the chubby arms flailed then reached up to again cling to the robe and the little green eyes popped open looking at him betrayed.

"Son of a …." Sirius stopped himself, took a deep breath and began again.

"Twinkle, twinkle….." This time the little bugger wasn't giving in so easily.

It was much later well after midnight, when pops of apparition, woke Sirius. Heart rate escalating he grabbed his wand from the side table, prepared to defend the little boy in his arms. Hoping that it was Lily and James.

"Sirius," whispered James from behind Lily as she pushed open the nursery door.

Relief!


End file.
